The Next Chapter for Strong Towns
What we’ve built, how we’re funded, and where we’re headed next.
Every Member Week I try to pull back the curtain: what Strong Towns is doing, what’s working, and how we keep it all moving. This year we’re sharing two short videos that, together, tell the inside story of the movement you’re helping lead.
Video 1: Strategy—From Reach to Real-World Results
This is a candid briefing on how Strong Towns grew from a scrappy blog to a continent-wide movement, and why our next chapter is about turning that reach into measurable, local wins. I walk through how our priorities have shifted, what’s happening with Local Conversations, and how we’re focusing our five core campaigns so cities can actually implement them.
Video 2: Finances—What Funds the Movement (and Why It Matters)
We lay out the numbers plainly: in 2024 our total revenue was $2.24M. The real engine behind that was people showing up — events (22%) and grants (43%) — with members providing 35% ($794,000) of the funding base that lets us act boldly.
On the expense side ($2.4M), 77% went to people power, supporting 300+ Local Conversations, writing, coaching, teaching, and showing up in 85 towns to turn ideas into action.
We recorded a $168,000 loss last year; that’s the reality of a mission-first posture in a lumpy nonprofit world. We retooled. The good news: by Q3 2025, membership is up and accounts for 63% of our income (~$910,000)—the most stable, values-aligned support we have.
Why share all this?
Because this movement runs on trust. If you believe, as we do, that cities get stronger when neighbors take the next small step, then the way we’re funded should reflect that: broad, recurring, people-powered support over narrow, conditional money. It keeps us independent, focused, and accountable to you.
If you’ve ever wondered “What does Strong Towns actually do, and how do they sustain it?”, these two videos answer that clearly and candidly.
Watch the videos, then stand with us.
If you’re ready to help grow the impact of this movement — one code change, one safer street, one block at a time — become a member today.